1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved method of determining, while drilling in the earth with a drill bit, the positions of geologic formations in the earth. More particularly, it relates to a method for improving the quality of a reference signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional reflection seismology utilizes surface sources and receivers to detect reflections from subsurface impedance contrasts. The obtained image often suffers in spatial accuracy, resolution and coherence due to the long travel paths between source, reflector, and receiver. In particular, due to the two way passage of seismic signals through a highly absorptive near surface weathered layer with a low, laterally varying velocity, subsurface images are poor quality. To overcome this difficulty, a technique commonly known as vertical seismic profiling (VSP) was developed to image the subsurface in the vicinity of a borehole. With VSP, a surface seismic source is used and signals are received at a single downhole receiver or an array of downhole receivers. This is repeated for different depths of the receiver (or receiver array). In offset VSP, a plurality of spaced apart sources are sequentially activated, enabling imaging of a larger range of distances than is possible with a single source
In reverse VSPs, the positions of the source and receivers are interchanged, i.e., a downhole source is used and recording is done at a surface receiver or array of receivers. A particular example of such a system is one developed by Western Atlas International Inc. and used with the service mark TOMEX®. In this, the drillbit itself is used as the seismic source. One of the problems with using a drillbit as a seismic source is that the source is not repeatable. As would be known to those versed in the art, analysis of VSP data preferably uses of a repeatable source so that any waveforms changes in the VSP data may be attributable to formation properties. With the drillbit as a seismic source, this is difficult. Hence it would be desirable to properly compensate for source variations prior to analysis of the VSP data.
A problem with proper compensation for source variations is that telemetry capability in a drilling environment is extremely limited, so that sending the characterizing information about the source wavelet to the surface is not possible. U.S. Pat. No. 6,078,868 to Dubinsky, having the same assignee as the present application and the contents of which are fully incorporated herein by reference, teaches a method for making seismic while drilling (SWD) measurements in which a reference signal downhole near the drill bit is analyzed, and information about the signal is sent to the surface using a limited number of transmission bits. In one embodiment, a library of anticipated drill bit wavelets is stored in memory downhole and in memory at the surface. This library of anticipated drill bit wavelets is based on long term experience (several years) as well as theoretical considerations in collecting drill bit signals downhole and, in fact, could also be considered a data base of these collected drill bit signals. The best matching wavelet is identified by the processor downhole and then a code identifying the wavelet and a scaling factor are sent to the surface. At the surface, the best matching wavelet is retrieved based on the code received and then a reconstructed signal is created using the retrieved wavelet and the scaling factor. In another embodiment, key characteristics of the signal such as central frequency, frequency band, etc., are calculated downhole and transmitted to the surface. These key characteristics are then used to reconstruct the reference signal which is then used for correlation of surface detected signals. Once this correlation is done, the data are analyzed at the surface using known techniques.
The Dubinsky patent addresses the problem of telemetry of source wavelets to the surface in the context of a reverse VSP. The present invention is a modification of the apparatus and method of Dubinsky in the context of a conventional VSP, i.e., source at the surface and receiver downhole. There are other differences between the method and apparatus of the present invention and the teachings of Dubinsky. These are discussed below.